Saturday, May 10, 2014

Friday Face Off: The Beautiful & the Cursed

Ugh. Someone remind me when it's Friday, 'k? Because apparently, I can't keep track of days anymore. Actually, I'm not even sure what my name is lately...
ANYWAY, it's time for Friday Face Off, and yes I know it's Saturday, and late on Saturday at that. Sue me. (Please don't. It will be a colossal waste of time for both of us...) This week's FFO features a book that I actually just got in the mail, and will be showing you in my next haul, which is sooooo overdue: Page Morgan's The Beautiful and the Cursed. Below are the US and UK versions of the book, respectively. They take totally different approaches, and though I can't speak to which suits it best as I haven't read it yet, I will say from what I know of the book, they both capture different facets. Makes for an interesting side-by-side.
Take a look, read over the synopsis if it helps, and then let us know in the comment which you prefer. Which would you reach for on the shelves? Which catches your eye and makes you want to know more? Which would you rather own?

Which one did it better?

After a bizarre accident, Ingrid Waverly is forced to leave London with her mother and younger sister, Gabby, trading a world full of fancy dresses and society events for the unfamiliar city of Paris.

In Paris there are no grand balls or glittering parties, and, disturbingly, the house Ingrid’s twin brother, Grayson, found for them isn’t a house at all. It’s an abandoned abbey, its roof lined with stone gargoyles that could almost be mistaken for living, breathing creatures.

And Grayson has gone missing.

No one seems to know of his whereabouts but Luc, a devastatingly handsome servant at their new home.

Ingrid is sure her twin isn’t dead—she can feel it deep in her soul—but she knows he’s in grave danger. It will be up to her and Gabby to navigate the twisted path to Grayson, a path that will lead Ingrid on a discovery of dark secrets and otherworldly truths. And she’ll learn that once they are uncovered, they can never again be buried.

Last Week on FFO: Carolyn Turgeon's paperback and ebook versions of The Fairest of Them All went head to head, and though both were praised, and tweaks were desired of each to make it just right, the winner in a fairly close race was the soft, ethereal paperback. And as much as I love the paperback (even more so in person than online), I have to agree.
Winner ---------->

The UK(?) Version on the right, hands down, beautiful cover!I find the US one to be looking a bit, well, bland? I wouldn't have the least clue what to expect from the book based on that... maybe a psychedelic drug experience set in France?

(Although, after reading the synopsis, the US cover does seem to be a better fit - still don't like though)

Oh, so hard to decide! As much as I love the colorful one, that pose the model is in is the pose I affect for overly-dramatic drama llamas. It's hard not to snort derisively when seeing it on a novel...like maybe it's taking itself too seriously. But the gargoyle cover is so...monochrome. And the model's outfit looks trash-collector-meet-sci-fi. :/I honestly can't decide which is better, but neither make me want to read the novel (so I'll have to rely on your review alone!)

I'm a huge fan of the US cover. I love the font and the cover and I feel like it represents an air of paranormal mystery mixed with the 1800s that permeates the novel. I've never liked the UK covers - I don't feel like they represent the story as well.

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About Me

Fun-loving swf, likes long walks on the beach -- no, wait, that's not right. I don't really know what I want to do with my life at the moment, but I know it will involve books. I am full of contradictions, which I love, and I fully intend to be an eccentric old lady, with cats and sticky hard candy and pink hair. Also, I don't take myself too seriously, which translates as 'I am an utter dumbass,' and that's just the way I like it.
If you're interested in having me review your book, contact me at mbradenwf@gmail.com Please note: my tastes lean heavily toward urban fantasy, paranormal romance, magical realism, sci-fi, and fairy tale retellings. I have events dedicated to fairy tales, Halloween and Jane Austen, and will generally accept books in those categories. And I DO NOT accept e-books.